Unique Similarity
by peacelovesunshine
Summary: The following takes place over the span of Season 4 and into what I think what'll happen in Season 5. Lots of Jim/Pam and Dwight/Angela and Michael/Holly. SPOILERS! *Now complete!
1. one

Jim had a pretty hectic day at work. He had spent nearly a lifetime on the phone, trying to get a hold of Ryan. Ryan eventually did answer the phone, only to tell him he had to go to meeting. He told him other things about losing his job, sinking the company into an irreversible debt, but Jim was too frustrated and angry to hear those things. He couldn't even have a decent sigh of relief without Ryan being a total jerk to him.

Pam watched from reception with the same, sympathetic expression all day. So when five o'clock came around, she invited Jim over to her house for some dinner.

It was a beautiful meal of spaghetti and salad. It was so simple, and yet, it was everything Jim needed; a simple, easy, good thing in his life. Which is why he was grateful for Pam.

Curiosity got to the best of him as Pam kindly picked up his plates and went to the kitchen. From the dinner table, he could see into her living room. It was your usual living room: T.V., couch, loveseats, coffee table, the works. However, it was the bookshelf that had teased Jim's eyes. There were novels, pictures, and other various knick – knacks Pam had collected over the years. The bottom shelf was cluttered in yearbooks and art references. Those books on the bottom had spines of unbelievable damage; years of thumbing her fingers through these pages had cause significant wear and tear. Jim mentally noted that the bottom shelf was saved for those books Pam treasured the most. As his eyes wandered from cracked spine to torn page, he was surprised to find a book that was orange. It wasn't faded or cracked or worn away; but a vibrant orange in the midst of the 'Antiques Road Show'. Jim felt a sudden urge to ask Pam why she had an orange book in her collection, but decided against it. She was scrubbing left-over meat sauce from the plates and wearing big, plastic gloves. Clearly, she did not want to be bothered with frivolous questions. Or at least, that's how Jim reasoned when he quietly stood up from his seat and started over to the bookcase.

Pam had the water running by the time Jim was tenderly moving books out of the way. Each book he moved was like a year in Pam's life. There were books from 2001, and books from 1956 which she probably had inherited. He was peeling away the clock, until he got to what made it tick – the orange book. Jim carefully removed the book from its spot and, without looking at the title or anything, went back to his seat at the table. Pam was sitting down as he started to read the title.

"Whatcha got there?" she asked innocently. It had not dawned on her that this was the book from her own library.

"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing…." Jim had met her gaze and was fumbling with words. Could she really not recognize one of the 'important books'?

"Wait…" Pam said as she furrowed her brow, "Is that…Oh my God! Jim!" With a sudden burst of adrenaline, she frantically reached out to grab the book from the table. But Jim was quicker, and snatched the book away at the last second.

"Oh my God, that is so embarrassing, Jim! Give that back!" She continued to struggle, now fighting back Jim's defensive arm – block. She let a few giggles escape, and he was smiling.

"What? What's so bad about this?" Jim asked when she had calmed down. Without thinking twice, he turned the book over and looked at the cover page. There was a sudden release of pressure, as Pam sat back down in her chair and Jim took down his arm – block. His eyes danced around the cover before his mind truly comprehended what was on there.

In the middle, was a black and white sketch of the familiar Dr. Seuss character, Horton the Elephant. Above, in big white lettering, were the words "Horton Hears a Who!" Below the drawing, were the words "And other stories too." True to Dr. Seuss fashion, even the title of his books rhymed. Jim smiled as he could feel Pam blushing.

"So, this is your big 'embarrassing' secret?" Jim asked with a smile. Pam's face was flushed with color, and it was obvious she was biting back a smile.

"Well, it's just a silly right? That I would still have a Dr. Seuss book." Pam explained meeting Jim's gaze.

"No, not at all." He reassured her, "I still have all of mine. But why is this such a big deal?"

_Am I coming on too strong?_ Jim thought to himself. He imagined her crying and storming out of the room in anger and embarrassment. It was taking her too long to respond. _Great, Halpert, nice use of tact. _He could see the hesitation in her eyes

"Okay," Pam said with a breath, "When I was a little girl, I tried out for this art program. It was really cool, and everyone in my class was trying out. The people selected to participate in this program would be nationally recognized and would have their own, little exhibit at the city's fine arts museum for two weeks."

"Wow!" Jim said, "Sounds cool!"

"I know, "she continued, "Anyways, it was a big deal for the local press and anyone who was anybody in the little kid art community would be there. I mean, Jim. Getting a piece selected meant you were a _somebody_. Looking back on it, I don't know why I got so worked up about it, but I don't know. I just wanted to be a real artist with a real exhibit and everything." Pam paused for a moment and took a deep breath before continuing,

"Of course, I totally applied and everything. I painted a tree at sunset on a hill. My Mom even went out and bought the professional kind of paintbrushes that 'professionals' use! I spent the better part of a Saturday afternoon, just making sure it was absolutely perfect."

"I'm sure it was," Jim interrupted. Pam returned his comment with a smile.

"Well, it was perfect in my eyes and that's all that mattered. I mean, that thing was my baby! On Monday, the judges would come to our art class and see which of us would be selected to join this special program…." Pam's voice trailed off and her face dropped a little.

"I mean, mine was pretty good compared to the other kids. But, I guess the judges were looking for something…else? Like, the other kids had painted self portraits and I was the only one who had painted a still – life. A few days pass and I get the letter that I was not accepted."

"Oh no, I'm sorry." Jim said, offering his hand. The tips of his fingers graced Pam's left hand, before she pulled it away.

"No, it's OK. It's really not that bad," she assured him, "I mean…whatever, you have to fail before you can succeed."

"True, true"

"Anyways," Pam continued, "I remember just crying and crying all day, it was really pathetic actually. But at the time, it had been like, my world had ended. I had picked out what I was going to wear to the exhibit and how I would explain to people my inspiration, and all that jazz. Again, really quite pathetic and lame on my part. Anyways, that night my Mom was talking to me before she tucked me in. You know, she was just saying the same ol' stuff she'd been telling me all day. The things moms are supposed to say? "

Jim nodded in polite agreement.

"Well, she told me she knew a story that would make me feel better. Low and behold, she picked up "Horton Hears a Who!" I don't know, I guess…I don't know." Pam had become a little shy, and the red color in her cheeks came back again.

"No, no!" Jim insisted, "Do go on!"

"I mean, the book is about being special no matter how small. And even though somebody says you're not good enough, you totally are. And, I don't know, I guess it just made me feel better." Pam started to laugh,

"Sometimes…if I've had a bad day at work, I come home and read the story."

"Ah, Beesly!" Jim said smiling, "That is the cutest thing I've ever heard!"

"I know, I know…its lame, though." She said laughing.

"Well, you know," He said mischievously, "I did have kind of a bad day at work…"

"Are you alluding that we should read 'Horton Hears a Who!' together?"

Jim didn't respond verbally. Instead, he just grinned.

They made their way over to her coach. Pam sat down next to Jim, and he affectionately put his arm around her shoulders. She was holding the book.

"So, now you're going to read it to me…" Jim said, forcing the book open. Pam just smiled at him and began reading,

"On the fifteenth of May, in the Jungle of Nool, in the heat of the day…."

Pam read the entire story, but Jim wasn't really paying attention. He kept thinking; the fifteenth of May, the fifteenth of May.

It was decided on that couch that night. Jim would propose on the fifteenth of May.

--

Jim never felt so ready for anything in his life. He stared dead on to the lens that was in front of his face now. He didn't think twice, he didn't even _think_. He just proclaimed to this empty camera,

"I'm going to propose tonight."

It took him a second, before realizing – today was May 15th. It was the fifteenth of May.

"Holy crap!"


	2. two

Never in a million years did he imagine the night would end this way.

Holding a water hose, as Phyllis was bent over, cleaning her hands of the black, firework residue.

"Thanks, Jim," she said as she patted her hands dry on her dress, "I really appreciate all the money you gave us –"

"Oh, no problem," he interrupted. He turned off the stream of water, and neatly tossed the hose aside.

"It really made the night special." Phyllis said with a smile. She casually walked off to Bob Vance who was packing away the left over hot dog buns.

"Yeah, it was supposed to be a special night," Jim muttered to himself. He didn't think anyone had heard his muffled disappointed, but apparently, somebody did. The familiar voice rang in his ears,

"Oh, so you're talking to yourself now?"

The beautiful, auburn haired receptionist was coming up beside him. She playfully punched his shoulder and he let out a meek laugh.

"No, it's…nothing." Jim said with a forced smile. He brought everything he could to look her dead in the eyes and pretend that everything was alright. But even one of the greatest liars in the history of lying couldn't stand up to Pam Beesley's knack of caring.

"Hey," she said with a sudden tone of tenderness, "Is everything all right?" She gently stroked his shoulder as he put his head down.

"Yeah, it's just…" Jim wanted to say everything. He wanted to tell her about the fifteenth of May, and the ring, and the fireworks, yet he swallowed his words and once again, lied.

"I actually kinda, feel bad for Dwight." That did the trick. Pam dropped her hand and her eyes widen with the kind of sadness that resembled puppy dog eyes. The corners of her mouth twisted to form a smile, but the shock of the news caused her jaw to drop as well. Her mouth formed the perfect shape for a big fat –

"Aaaw! That is so nice!" Pam playfully punched Jim's shoulder. "So you really do care about him?" Jim met her gaze and saw the excitement in her eyes.

"Well, I've uh…" for some odd reason, he found it hard to say what he was about to say. It really wasn't offensive, but bad memories can always ruin a good time. But before he could truly think about what he was going to say, the words had poured from his mouth

"I know how it feels to watch someone you love get engaged." Pam's mouth shut, and her eyes dropped back to a sensible and reasonable level of sincerity. Jim continued,

"And this time it's really bad because clearly Angela does not want to get married to Andy, I mean he's…he's just the worst." He managed to finish with a small chuckle. He met Pam's gaze. He could feel the friction between them. She was confused. He could feel the mix of emotions exploding together like fireworks.

"Jim," she managed, "I, we really need to talk to them…" her voice trailed off as her focus shifted from Jim to the ground. The two sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments before she continued,

"I mean…" she started, looking up at Jim again, "It's terrible, what happened between…us…and, Dwight's already suffered enough. Maybe, I can talk to Angela? And tell her how Dwight feels and maybe, she'll get it? Because…I think she still loves Dwight. And even though she's engaged to Andy, and even if she's still engaged to Andy for seven years or so – she'll always think about Dwight." Pam finished her 

sentence, and took Jim's hand. He returned the invitation by intertwining index, middle, and ring finger. They looked at each under the street light until an obnoxious voice broke the moment.

"Dwight, my man!" The annoying voice of Andy Bernard was coming from the far end of the parking lot. He was walking up to the obviously crushed Dwight with his arms open in anticipation of a hug. Dwight un-willingly embraced Andy as he drew nearer. Dwight gave the international sign of a hug to end – by patting Andy's back twice. Andy gritted his teeth and widened his eyes in the 'pretend frustration' facial expression. He put his hands casually on the back of his neck.

"Can you believe tonight?! Wow, I don't even know what I was doing…I just did it. You know when you feel so strongly about something and –"That's when Jim tuned him out. Instead, his focus went back to Dwight. Regardless of whether you like someone or not, you've got to admire bravery. And that's exactly the kind of person Dwight was – brave. Jim looked on in awe as Dwight managed to keep a straight face, looking Andy dead in the eye, and nodding in polite happiness of his engagement. Dwight even had the courage to put a hand on Andy's shoulder and say, "I'm very happy for the two of you." Before Andy walked off in search of his parents.

He could feel Pam's eyes watch Dwight walk slowly into the Dunder Mifflin building. The tension was too much. In a non-verbal agreement, the decision was made. Jim never stopped looking at Dwight wait for the elevator.

"I'm going to find Angela," Pam said before walking off in search of the tiny, blonde accountant.

--

Pam wasn't eavesdropping, but she couldn't help but over-hear the conversation going on between Andy and Angela as she made her way over. The two were bickering over sleeping arrangements.

"Well, I can just put my parents on a fold out couch!"

"No, Andy, that's rude. That's your family – they can just sleep in the guest room."

"But where will you sleep?"

"I was planning on sleeping at my house."

"Oh, c'mon, we're engaged! You've never even been over at my house."

"I know, I just..." Pam could hear the hesitation in Angela's quivering voice. She watched her mouth form words that were not spoken. Words like, "I don't love you." And "I don't want to be with you." Luckily, Pam walked in on their conversation at the perfect time.

"Angela, there you are!" Pam said with hesitation. Andy's head twisted in curiosity. Angela just looked pleased there was a distraction.

"We've been looking everywhere; the party planning committee needs you." Pam could feel the smile Angela was fighting. Andy, on the other hand, was not so excited.

"Well, Angela has to come home and have dinner with her new fami-"

"No!" Angela suddenly cut Andy off. "No! I have to stay…Andy, this is my job. I won't be maybe…30 minutes?" her eyes bounced back and forth from Pam to Andy. She was fiddling with her jacket in anticipation. Pam caught the signal. She squinted her face in fake agony before continuing.

"Oh, only 30 minutes?" she gazed back at the Ferris wheel before continuing, "We kinda need her for maybe…an _hour_ and thirty minutes." Her attention went to Andy, and with determination said, "Is it OK if we borrow her for ninety minutes or so?"

Andy looked at Pam, then Angela, then Pam again.

"OK, if my buttercup wants to stay, she can stay." He lightly kissed her forehead, much to her displeasure, before escorting his parents to his car.

Angela carefully waited for all the car doors to shut before speaking again.

"Pam," she said looking at the receptionist, "I…I didn't know it was so _obvious_."

"Obvious to me, maybe," Pam replied meeting Angela's eyes, "But not really obvious to a lot of people." She gestured that they should sit down at one of the picnic tables. Angela let out a sigh as she sat. Pam sat down in the chair to the right of her. She carefully made sure no one was in direct ear shot before leaning in close.

"I've made a terrible decision tonight, Pam." She said softly, "I mean…that was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do."

"Even harder than letting go of Sprinkles?" Pam said with a sudden forcefulness in her voice. Angela was a little off – put by the comment, but continued none the less.

"Yes." Pam's face had softened. She really did care about Dwight. Angela let out an exasperated sigh,

"I don't know what to do, Pam. I've never been in a place like this? Where, I have to decide between two men. And, I've never…been…in _love_ like this before." Angela felt incredibly uncomfortable confessing all of this to Pam. She understood, though. It was hard for Pam to convince herself that she was indeed in love with Jim – and she was sure Angela was going through the same thing.

"Angela," she said with a new found determination, "Just…don't think about it, ok? You have to make a decision. And really, it just gets down to do you love Andy or not?" Angela didn't take long to respond, the answer had been on the tip of her tongue all night, and she now had an outlet to say what she had bottled up this entire year.

"I have never loved, or never will love Andy."

That was all Pam needed to hear. She'd never been more proud of Angela.

"And Dwight?" she continued, "Do you love Dwight?"

Pam was surprised when Angela's face softened. Her lips parted, as if she were going to say something, but couldn't find the right words. Angela _knew_ the answer. Unfortunately, the dictionary had yet to come up with an appropriate word for this situation. Angela needed a word that combined phrases like; "absolutely" and "more than anything" and even "more than my dead cat." She could feel the salty tears forming, yet she stay calmed, cool, and collected before answering Pam.

"Yes."

"Yes you love Dwight? Or yes you want to be with Dwight because you don't want to be with Andy." Pam had been prepared to be shocked the entire night by Jim's proposal. However, in less than a millisecond, she was going to be shocked by the most profound answer Angela had ever given her.

"Yes, I love Dwight. I want to be with Dwight. I wish Andy was never even a part of this equation, because the only person right for me is Dwight." She said all of this very fast. She took a deep breath before giving into a small sob and allowing the silent stream of tears she'd been holding back all night, fall onto her cheeks. Angela permitted her eyes to wander to the ground as she cried tears of a sudden and sad realization.

She thought she'd be lonely the rest of her life. Sure, she'd have _Andy_, but being with Andy was worse than being alone. And even if she were to break up with him, Dwight would never forgive her. She was horrible to him. He had thrown himself into the mercy of corporate for her. He had willingly sacrificed his prized position as assistant regional stage manager for her. He had even taken Sprinkles out of her misery, so Angela wouldn't have to. And even after all of that, she had shut him out of her life completely. So shut out, that she started to live a lie. She cried every day after work for two months. She cried for Sprinkles the first three times, and she cried for Dwight the other fifty – five days. She knew that no one would ever forgive her, which is what made her sad. Because forgiveness was impossible, she cried on the fifteenth of May at the picnic table in the presence of Pam.

Which is why she was shocked when she felt the warm touch of empathy on her shoulder. She looked up to meet the eyes of Pam, who was now stroking her shoulder with her thumb. Her eyes were welcoming, and she had the body language that said, "I've been in the exact same spot as you." Angela took the backside of her hand and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Angela," Pam said, "Being engaged and being married are…completely different things. Besides, you guys _just_ got engaged tonight! It's not too late to –"

"I know what you're going to stay, Pam." Angela interrupted, "But I can't break up with Andy. He's so happy…and…I'm just done hurting people that care about me."

"If he cared about you he'd be able to let you go." Pam had taken her arm away from Angela's shoulder, "Tonight, I watched Dwight congratulate Andy on his engagement. He looked him dead in the fast and said 'I'm happy for you'. That's love."

Angela's mouth had opened in awe and her eyes were wide with curiosity. She started to run her necklace through her fingers.

"He said that?" she asked. Pam just nodded.

"But, do you know where –"

"He went inside."

Angela started over to the Dunder Mifflin building. Pam stood up and couldn't help but smile as she watched her tiny friend walk in such determination. She walked about three feet, before abruptly turning and hustling back over to Pam. Angela went straight up to Pam, and embraced her. Pam was surprised, yet she politely returned the hug.

"Thank you…for everything." Angela said in her ear. She pulled away from Pam and started walking back to the building. But before she went inside, she turned around to face Pam one more time.

"And thank you for taking good care of…him." She yelled.

"Don't mention it!" Pam and Angela shared smiles before the blonde accountant continued on into the building.


	3. three

Nothing Seuss – like happened on the 25th of September. Horton heard no Whos and no Wickershams showed up un-announced. However, today was a good day. Pam, the love of Jim's life, was returning from her three month stint in art school. Times had been hard at Dunder Mifflin. Jim and Pam had already had their first argument in New York about the failed proposal attempt. Things had smoothed over, yet, there was definitely a distance growing between them. Phyllis was using her new found discovery to tease Angela. She and Andy were hard at work planning a wedding, leaving no time for her and Dwight to have some decent "alone" time. Jan, as if she wasn't crazy enough, came in to work almost every day to either yell at Michael or cry on his shoulder. Even worse, she saw Holly as a threat and treated her like a second Toby. Ryan was still in jail, getting visits from Darryl and Kelly nearly twice a week. The camera crew always came along with. All in all – a pretty miserable three months.

However, miserable as it may be, a phone call would come on the 24th of September that would suddenly make the months Pam was gone all worth it. The phone of the paper company's office rang in the same harsh, tone Jim had become familiar with. He looked over at reception, waiting to see if Pam would answer the phone. His eyes were disappointed, however, when he saw Kelly Kapoor painting her nails idly and not answering the phone. Jim threw his pen on his desk in frustrated and swiveled his chair.

"You going to answer that?" He asked with irritation. He could see out of the corner of his eye Angela rolling her eyes.

"Yeah sure," Kelly responded, not once looking up from her handy work. She closed the lid of the nail polish and quickly blew her fingers dry.

"Dunder Mifflin, this is Kelly," she finally answered the phone. There was a brief silence before, "Oh my God!! Pam, how are you?!" Jim's eyes darted from his computer screen back to reception. _Has it been three months already?_ Jim thought to himself. If Pam was calling, does that mean she was ready to come home?

"Oh my God that is so cool! That is really _so _cool. Oh my God, that is SO COOL! Like, that's the coolest thing I've heard today….Yeah? Oh yeah sure," Kelly put her hand to the phone and looked over at Jim.

"Jim? Pam's on the phone…you want to talk to her?"

"Nope." He said in a very solemn tone. "Tell her I never want to speak to her again." Jim finished with a smile and Kelly looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Wait," she said in disbelief, "are you serious?" Jim could hear Pam over the phone say, "Just put me through." Kelly pressed a few buttons and Jim's desk phone lit up. He picked up the ear piece casually.

"Dunder Mifflin, this is Jim." He answered.

"Jim! You let _Kelly_ be the new receptionist?!" Jim laughed

"Oh Beesley, I knew you would not be happy about that."

"I mean, don't get me wrong," she continued, "Being a receptionist isn't me dream job but yikes – Kelly?! I mean, if Kelly can do it, can't everyone?" Jim chuckled to himself. He missed Pam more than he thought.

"Yeah, well…you know Michael. So, whatcha calling about?"

"Oh nothing really," Pam replied on the other end, "I just wanted to see what's up, what's going on in the office, who misses me. Oh and on an irrelevant side note, I will 

be returning to Scranton tomorrow." He could hear her smile on the other end. His own lips were curling into a smile.

"No way, Beesley!" He said excitedly, "Three months already?"

"Yup," she said with a giggle, "And I really can't wait to get back." There was a comfortable silence between the two of them for a moment. Jim was so excited, he couldn't think of words. He wanted to say everything, but only managed

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too." There was a pause on the other end, before Pam came back on the line,

"Hey Jim?"

"Yeah?"

"I have to go…I'm packing my stuff and I'm getting calls from the lobby about check out."

"Wait…you've lived in a _hotel_ for three months?"

"Shut up, it's a long story." She was so cute.

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Okay Beesley, can't wait." Silence.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

--

This wasn't like before. Looking dead on into a camera, knowing exactly what he was going to say. This was more spontaneous. Less romantic, more I – have – to – do – this – before – it's – too – late

"You know, "Jim started, "I've waited three months for Pam to return and now," he was struggling with words. They were forming in the back of his throat, but yet, he couldn't manage to speak them.

"I can't wait anymore. I have to talk to Phyllis." There was that sudden thrill he got in his heart whenever Pam held his hand or whenever he would look at the wedding ring.

"I am doing it tomorrow…and it has to be _perfect_."


	4. four

It was September 25th. The day Jim had waited three months for. The ring was sitting in his pocket, and his hands were anxious to pull it out. He had spoken with Phyllis the day before about plans of a 'proposal party'. She had agreed to come to work an hour early the next day to meet with Jim about this evening's events. They were sitting in the conference room at eight a.m. on a perfect, Thursday morning.

"Okay," Jim said with a breath, "I told you loosely about what's going to happen tonight…do you…understand?" Phyllis smiled.

"Oh Jim," she replied, "I think it's wonderful."

"I do too, Phyllis," Jim said with a half – smile, "I do too. Now, Pam is set to arrive at eleven a.m. today so," he opened his journal and took out his pen, "that means that at eleven – thirty, the Ferris wheel should arrive. Then, there's the matter of –"

"Jim," Phyllis said with concern, "I don't think I can make this happen again." Jim could see the fear in her eyes.

"Phyllis," he said with comfort, "You don't have to do all of it. I will help you, trust me, it'll be O.K."

"Okay, Jim." She replied with a new found determination. "We'll do this."

--

It was nine – thirty a.m. at the Dunder Mifflin offices. Already, the food stands had arrived and were sitting idly in the warehouse. It was hidden, so if Pam went down there she wouldn't see them. Everyone was already at their desk, and Pam had just called to confirm she was arriving promptly at eleven. Jim was at his desk, calling the Ferris wheel company and the rent – a – moon – bounce place. He had finished calling Darryl to inform him his band will be needed again tonight, and had placed the phone on its deck. Jim stood up and cleared his throat,

"Okay, can I have everyone's attention, please?" Michael peeked his head out of his office. Dwight looked up in suspicion. All eyes were on Jim.

"Um, I don't know how to say this, but before I do; I have to know you guys won't say anything?" Silence, "What I mean by that is…you guys can keep a secret?" Jim looked around the office. A few heads nodded.

"Kelly, do you promise not to say anything?" Jim looked over at reception. Kelly crossed her heart and put her finger to her lips.

"Good, now I need everyone to go to the conference room."

"Okay, no you're not going in there," Dwight stood up and was blocking the conference room. "Jim, what are you doing?!" he frantically whispered.

"Dwight, you have to trust me, okay?" Dwight was a brick wall. "Please?" Something in Jim's facial expression must've set off an alarm in Dwight's mind, so he stepped aside and slowly but surely, the conference room filled up.

"Alrighty, it seems like we have everyone here…" Jim mocked doing a head count.

"Right, well as you know Pam is coming back from New York today at eleven." A few heads nodded, "Well…I've actually been trying to do something for a while now, and I think tonight…well, I just need to do this. And when I tried doing it the first time, I was interrupted by another…proposal." He said the last party quietly. However, it was loud enough to make Angela and Dwight look at each other sympathetically.

"What I'm going to do tonight," Jim continued, "is to ask Pam…to uh, marry me." He couldn't help but smile. He took the velvet box out of his pocket and opened it up. He proudly showed everyone in the conference room. Jim never felt more proud to work at Dunder Mifflin than this very moment. Every face in the conference room lit up. Some people gasped, some people said "congratulations", and even Angela was smiling ear to ear in delight. Michael saw this opportunity, and took it. He slowly began clapping his hands together, and Dwight eagerly followed. A few others joined the slow clap before Jim motioned for them to be silent. They followed his directions.

"Now, like I said, when I first wanted to propose," He tired hard not to look at Andy, "was at Toby's goodbye party but that changed…" Andy pumped his fist in the air, completely oblivious to the point Jim was trying to make. Once again, Angela and Dwight exchanged sympathetic apologies. Phyllis noticed and giggled a little.

"However, with the help of Phyllis," he nodded in Phyllis' direction, "I think I can pull off another Toby goodbye party."

"Without Toby though, right?" Michael desperately asked

"Yes." Michael took a sigh of relief and Holly smiled from across the room.

"Um, I think I should be okay as far as party planning goes but I might need Phyllis' and Angela's help. Now…I had this idea that maybe, we could all be exactly like we were the night Toby left? So if everyone can sit in the same place that'd be great."

The meeting went on for another hour and a half before finally an agreement was made, and not a moment too soon.

Because when everyone had cleared out of the conference room, it was eleven a.m. The phone rang and Kelly answered.

"Dunder Mifflin, this is Kelly…." She was on the phone for about five seconds before hanging up. She squealed when the phone hit the dock.

"Guys…" she announced, "SHE'S HERE!!"


	5. five

He met her at the elevator. Jim was too excited to wait until she got into the office. He had to see her before everyone else. So when the elevator door opened up, Pam quickly embraced Jim.

--

It was a pretty hectic day. After Jim talked to Pam about New York for about thirty minutes, he was back on proposal duty. The Ferris wheel had arrived and the workers were (quietly) putting it together. The moon bounce was being inflated, and it was only one p.m  
Dwight was in the kitchen, preparing a peanut butter and beet sandwich, when Angela walked in. She was very rigid, the way she always was. She didn't make eye contact with Dwight or even acknowledged he was in the room. She opened the fridge and pulled out her sack lunch.

"Hello, Dwight."

"Hello, Angela."

"What do you think about Jim and Pam?"

"I think it's silly."

"They'll just get tired of each other!" They sat in silence for a few moments, reflecting on the words they had just used to describe Jim and Pam's relationship. Angela realized it wasn't fair to judge Pam so easily. She was the one, after all, who came to her side when Dwight quit. It was Pam who comfort her when Sprinkles died. And it was Pam who convinced Angela to find Dwight on that fateful night in May.  
Dwight realized it wasn't fair to judge Jim so easily. Even though they were mortal enemies, they were desk mates. Dwight had saved Jim's life with a can of pepper spray. And Jim was the one who helped Dwight through his break up.

"Well," Angela started, "They did keep our secret."

"Yeah," Dwight agreed, "And they are pretty good together." There was a pause before Angela's eyes searched to meet Dwight's. They stood in silence, smiling at each other, for exactly two seconds before Andy walked into the kitchen.

"Hello, my little peppermint," he said joyfully. He took a few steps into the kitchen and stopped to look at the scene un-folding before his very eyes. Angela and Dwight quickly broke their gaze and Angela's smile had faded away.

"Whoa Dwight," Andy said jokingly, "You better not be fooling around with Angela!" He pat Dwight on his shoulder and laughed at his own joke. Dwight's faked an uncomfortable laugh to ease the tension.

"What do you want?" Angela said sternly.

"Well, we do have some time to kill before the big shin – dig tonight! I thought, maybe, we could go look at some flowers?"

"Andy…" Angela rolled her eyes, casually looking at Dwight, "I really don't think we should be _rushing_ this whole marriage thing." That was the wrong thing to say.

"What?" Andy looked crushed, "Are you saying you're getting…cold feet?" Angela became uncomfortable and 'lovingly' put an arm on Andy's shoulder.

"Andy…I'm not saying that," she was rubbing his arm, "I'm just saying…we have a lot of time to work out the official wedding plans. Maybe…we should talk about this over the weekend? Or something?"

Andy looked pretty convinced. _He's always been a little gullible_, Angela though to herself.

"Well…okay." Andy said. Dwight took a little sigh of relief. "Besides, I'm swamped with work and stuff…" He put on his usual charm. Angela just returned it with a polite smile.

"Alright…you enjoy lunch, and Dwight..HANDS OFF!" He playfully punched Dwight's shoulder twice, "Nah, just kidding." He casually walked out of the kitchen and back to his desk.

"Annex." Angela said, before quickly turning and walking away.


	6. six

Pam felt good sitting back at her old desk. Sure, the really expensive colored pencils weren't there. And instead of Mozart, she listened to the irritating beeps and boops the machines around her made. And Jim wasn't really speaking; he was too busy working on something. But nonetheless, Pam felt at home. She had doodled most of the day, because Jim was deep into his projects. However, she had received a million and one phone calls – all directed towards Jim. Something was up, and she was on the war path to figure it out. But as she began to really contemplate what was going on in the mind of Jim Halpert, Jan Levinson walked into the offices of Dunder Mifflin.

"Oh!" she said un-enthusiastically, "You're back."

"Yes…." Pam knew Jan was just afraid of 'competition'. The real competition, however, was sitting in Michael's office right now filling out the last of some paperwork corporate gave out a month ago. Holly was walking out of Michael's office with a smile on her face, before she noticed Jan. She and Jan had gotten into quite a few arguments, and she clearly realized Jan was not someone to mess around with. Holly, instead, quickly and quietly walked back to the annex.

"Where's Michael?" Jan asked, reveling quite the belly bump. Jim had told Pam about it the moment pregnant - Jan came to the office, but it was still shocking to see Jan with child.

"In his office." Before Pam could finish, she was on her way over there. She stormed over to his office door and tore it open. "Michael!" she yelled before walking in. Jim took two seconds to look up from his phone call to give Pam his infamous and adorable Jim – face.

--

"Jan Levinson, always a…delight," Michael said as the familiar, busty, mama – to – be stepped into his office.

"Hello, Michael." Jan replied. She clearly picked up the detest in his voice, but chose to ignore it. _I don't need another fight,_ she thought to herself. She took the arm of one of the office chairs and scooted it towards the desk of regional manager, Michael Scott. Soon, Michael and Jan were sitting face to face in his office.

"So, I came here to give you some paperwork…" as she finished her sentence, Jan bent over as much as she could to get some papers out of her overly sized purse. She used her index and middle finger to just barely wrap around the corners of the file. As she began to pull the file out, a few papers fell to the ground. Jan did not notice. Michael, however, did.

"Um, Jan you dropped some –"

"Anyways, these papers," she said as she slid the file across the desk, "reveal the many test I've taken for the baby; like, here" she pointed to the according percentage, "here are the odds the baby will be born with one eye! Fascinating, isn't it?"

"Jan," Michael said with a certain tone of disbelief, "How...How can you get this information? I mean, you're like…four months along? I mean…where do you find this…stuff?" He began to mimic looking through the papers while questions stilled bubbled within him. This gave Michael an opportunity to briefly forget that Jan had dropped papers under her seat.

Before he another question could escape his lips, an annoyingly familiar song filled the room. Jan's phone was ringing;  
_You took me by the hand  
__Made me a man…  
_"Hunter?" Michael asked rhetorically. He knew the answer was yes.

"Hello?" Jan said as she flipped the phone open. "Hunter yes! I do have the papers," a smile had grown on Jan's lips. She was hastily picking up the papers left and right. "Um, well…he, she, _it¸ _looks pretty good," she had snatched the papers from Michael right out of his finger tips. She continued to talk on her way out of the office.

All the while, forgetting she had dropped the paperwork with the official name of the father of the child.


	7. seven

"Hey," Jim said as he approached reception. He casually put his elbows on the oh – so familiar desk that Pam Beesley (soon to be Halpert) sat at Monday through Friday.

"Hi," Pam said with a soft smile, "So I haven't seen you all day today!"

"Yeah well, clients….err!" Jim pretended to be frustrated. He sort of was, but most of all, he was anxious. Pam just responded with a giggle. Jim just smiled; _I could never get sick of this…_ he thought to himself. He opened his mouth to say something, when a beeping noise came from his computer. His face dropped as he looked up at the company clock. 4:30 pm. Never once returning his gaze to Pam, Jim said "Be right back…" and walked into the offices of Michael Scott.

"Jimborino, big night!" Michael joked as Jim approached his desk.

"Yes it is," he said with a breath, "Yes it is. Um, I need one more favor though."

"You name it, pal."

"I need the keys to the office."

Michael returned Jim's request with a blank expression.

"Well, I think she would get curious if all of us walked out at once. But if I look a few doors, I think that might save her the surprise!" Jim was pleased. So was Michael. He pulled out the bottom drawer on the left hand side of his desk. Inside, were a few folders, lose papers, and garbage. After shuffling around for a few moments, he finally was holding the spare key to the office.

"Take good care of this," Michael said as he handed the key over to Jim.

"Trust me, I will…" Jim was staring greedily at the key. He began to walk out before stopping and addressing Michael once again,

"And Michael? Thanks…thanks for everything." Michael smiled, but Jim couldn't see. He was already outside his office, busy locking doors left and right.

In the meantime, Michael was getting ready to announce the "secret word" he and Jim had worked out earlier to cue the departure of the office. He was putting the chair back that Jan had pulled out, when he noticed some papers on the floor. Out of curiosity, he bent over and picked these papers up before realizing these belonged to Jan. He knew he shouldn't have looked, but it was his semi – baby, so it couldn't hurt to just _glance_ at it. The paper he was holding was the official legal guardian information sheet. Under mother's name was the neatly printed, "Levinson, Jan." That was normal.

What was not normal was under father's name; the chicken scratch resemblance of what appeared to be, "McKinley, Hunter."

Under 'form of insemination' the box "sperm bank donor (artificial insemination)" was not checked. However, there was a huge, red check next to the words "natural insemination". Jan had not gone to the sperm bank for this baby; she had gone to Hunter. Michael had seen enough. In an act of defiance, he took the sheet of paper and tore if in half. Then, he took those halves and tore them into fourths before finally throwing them in the garbage. He felt good about it. Not betrayed, not hurt, but _good_. Hunter could do Lamaze class with Jan. Hunter could listen to Jan's whining and complaining. But most importantly, Michael could live his life; free of Jan. That's why when he went out to address the office; he was wearing a huge smile on his face.

--

Pam was doing some doodles of her stapler when Jim stepped out of his Michael's office. Her head jerked up excitedly, hoping he was coming to talk to her. But instead, he was going to lock the conference room. He frantically ran to the kitchen, opened the door to the annex and said something. She wasn't sure what he had said, but Holly, Dwight and Angela all stepped out of the annex, into the kitchen, and into the bullpen. Dwight and Angela looked like they had spent some time at the break room, while Holly was innocently doing some faxes. Andy gave Angela a big hug when she walked into the room.

"Where have you been, buttercup?"

"Oh. Just…looking for wedding dresses in a catalogue...I found in the break room, which is why I don't have it with me." Angela was frantically looking for excuses, while Dwight meekly nodded his head in a lame attempt of agreement. Jim turned around and locked the door to the annex. He opened both the men and women's restroom. Nobody came out of there. He quickly locked the door to the kitchen and shuffled over to reception.

"Hey," Jim smiled at Pam. Pam returned the gesture as Michael stepped out of his office.

"Okay team," Michael said gladly, casually locking his own door, "Mixed Berry Yogurt!" At his command, the office began to empty out. Jim quickly ran next to Michael and whispered in his ear,

"Do you have your key?"

"Yes I do."

"And your cell phone?"

"Yesh…"

"Good," Jim glanced back at Pam, who was starting to walk out of the office. With his heart beating out of his chest, Jim managed to block Pam's exiting the office.

"Hey! Wait a second!" Jim said in a panic as the last of the office filed out of the door.

"Yes?" Pam asked dumb-founded. Jim took a moment to think about what he was going to do next, before realizing the easiest solution. He took his hands and cradled her face with them and before she knew it, Jim had planted a soft, nice kiss on her forehead.

"I love you." Jim said as he gazed into her eyes. He felt a smile creeping on his face, and Pam was beaming with delight.

"I love you, too." Jim finally removed his hands before continuing on with the plan. He wiggled his fingers behind his back, like he was playing an invisible keyboard. Michael, as instructed, watched through the window and pulled out his phone. Frantically typing numbers, the phone inside the office began to beep.

"Ah, looks like you have to do your _job_, Beesley." Jim said playfully. Pam rolled her eyes and started back to her desk. Jim took his chance. He turned around and began running out the door, just as Pam was about to sit down. He heard her chair swivel as she took her seat, just as he opened the door of the office. And right before he exited and looked the door, he heard "Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam."

Jim had successfully done the impossible: he had managed to lock Pam inside the office, but not before leaving a special gift for her inside the flower plant.

--

Pam asked a few times into the phone, "Hello? Dunder Mifflin? Hello? Is anyone there?" before hanging up. She noticed Jim had left her, so she made her way to the door. She gently pushed down on the handle, only to feel it jam up. With curiosity and determination, she put all the effort she could into jiggling the frozen door handle. However, the door handle did not budge! It only took her a few moments to step back and realize that the door was locked.

"What the hell, Jim?!"


	8. eight

Jim was walking towards the elevator with satisfaction and a joy in his heart. His plan had gone pretty well; he could hear Pam's jigging of the door in the background. As the doors began to close, he ran and caught it at the last second. The doors opened to reveal Michael, Angela, Dwight, Andy, Kevin, Oscar, Meredith, Creed, Holly, Phyllis, Stanley and Kelly all standing in the elevator.

"Wow, fight the entire office in one elevator…" Jim laughed uncomfortably. He looked around at his co-workers before deciding.

"I'm just gonna…take the stairs," he made his way to the stairs just as the elevator doors shut. Naturally, he had beaten the rest of his co-workers to the first floor. It was a blessing in disguise really; he needed some time to think about everything that had just happened. He could feel his heart flutter in his chest. He imagined that the butterflies in his stomach were conversing with his heart; saying things like, "wow this guy's really nervous." He didn't allow himself to think that any longer, because the elevator had just reached its destination. As the doors opened, Jim yelled at the crowd,

"Okay, gather 'round folks!" He said with authority. The office agreed to his demands, and politely congregated in the lobby of their building.

"Now, I know I said that I would put you in places you would want to be, however, I'm changing the seating arrangement..." The crowd responded with a few questionable looks and a few nods. "So, don't be surprised if I…randomly move you to somewhere that's more appropriate for this evening."

--

In the meantime, Pam was quietly sitting at her desk, waiting for a phone to ring. She expected Jim to call any second with a funny explanation about what was going on. But alas, even after five minutes of loneliness; no such phone call came. Pam was a pretty smart girl, and figured out her escape route; the kitchen. The kitchen leads to the annex which leads to the emergency exit! She calmly, but excitedly, made her way over to the kitchen door. She had a certain satisfaction growing in her heart, knowing that Jim's plan was about to be un-done.  
However, to Pam's surprise, she had encountered another locked door on her crazy evening in the office.

--

"Um, this looks fine…" Jim said to himself as he looked amongst the crowd of people. Everyone had seated themselves in a way that looked aesthetically pleasing. Or, aesthetically pleasing to everyone that wasn't Jim. It was all wrong. Pam would notice as well, and it would make her a little sad. She was not going to be sad the day she got engaged, like how Angela was sad when she got engaged.

"Actually, no," Jim said aloud, "I'm going to change a few people…" he walked over to Holly's table. She was seated next to Kevin, Oscar and Creed. Oscar sat down because he didn't really care anything about who he was next to. Creed had sat down to stare at Holly's chest and Kevin sat down at that table for almost the same reason. Everyone was relatively comfortable, except for the crest-fallen Holly.

"Okay, Holly…." Jim addressed the human resources representative, "I need you to sit over here!" Jim motioned toward an empty seat near Michael. He had been sitting alone and was very quiet the entire night. It was obvious to Jim that something was up. He took the empty seat that was about to be used as Holly's chair and scooted it more towards Michael. Jim was hoping he hadn't been 'too obvious', but when he returned his focus to Holly, he was surprised. Holly was actually smiling. More importantly, she was looking at the back of Michael's head. _Whoa_, Jim thought to himself, _Michael really got this girl; hook, line, and sinker_.

"Michael…?" Jim said trying to break him out of his trance. Michael just returned Jim's statement with an empty look in his eyes; no doubt saddened by something.

"Michael, is it okay if Holly sits next to you?" Michael looked at Holly, who was standing a little behind and to the right of Jim. She was idly watching the ground, but could feel the eyes of Michael upon her. She looked up to return the gaze. Her lips were the first to smile, and Michael's soon followed. Jim had found himself going back and forth, watching Holly beam and Michael glow. Jim stood there in anticipation of an answer for about four seconds before Michael showed signs of life.

"Sure," he said, not once breaking his gaze. Jim walked away, determined to make the seating arrangement right. He could hear the soft chuckles of Michael and Holly in the background.

It was 4:50pm

--

Pam, determined to find a way out, had an idea. The conference room had windows in it! Windows that looked over the parking lot, where she could see if anyone had left the building! She nearly ran over to the conference room, and slammed all her weight onto the pathetic, little, door handle.  
But no such luck, Jim had locked this door as well.  
That was the third locked door today.


	9. nine

_A/N: GOD! Sorry for the lack of updates, I know I'm reaaaally bad. I know what's going to happen next, I just don't know how to write it? If that makes any sense.  
Anyways, fear not! This is the second to last chapter, so you won't have to wait for updates any more once the stories gone!_

_And if you're stilling reading this story...kudos._

* * *

Pam was getting frustrated as she fell into her desk chair. She looked at the time; 5:05 pm. _What on earth is Jim doing out there?!_ In a desperate attempt to keep herself occupied, she began to draw the figures they had taught her at the Pratt School of Design. After several minutes of diligent labor, she examined the little masterpiece she had created. It was nothing much; just a sketch of a flower. A daisy, actually. The lines around the stem were very swirly and delicate. The pedals, however, still looked a bit sharp in contrast. She traced her finger along the outside of the pedals, giving the flower the nice, smudged look she had learned about in New York. She grabbed a Kleenex and casually got rid of the excess smudge on the paper, and on her hand. Pleased with her work, Pam couldn't help but feel giddy. Her lips had curled into a lonely, sweet smile as she examined her art. Her happiness did not last long. She looked up at the digital clock on the computer. 5:30 pm and still no Jim.

--

Jim was outside, watching Phyllis cook hotdogs, _smiling_. He had never smiled at someone making hotdogs before, but knowing this was probably the food he was going to eat with Pam after proposing; he couldn't help but be ecstatic. He checked his clock; 5:40 pm. The sun was beginning to set and the outdoor light decorations had been turned on. All systems were go – except for one. Jim broke his focus on the hotdogs to; once again, carefully examine who was where in the sea of his co-workers. Michael and Holly were laughing, Oscar was joking around with Meredith, Stanley, and Bob Vance (_of Vance Refrigeration_, Jim couldn't help but think), and Creed was sitting, calmly, at his table of one, not making a mess of anything. All in all, everyone seemed happy; until he noticed the future Bernard's table. Andy was singing what could only be recognized as "It's Wonderful" from the musical Annie Get Your Gun. Angela, putting on a brave face, was smiling and nodding her head along with the music.  
Jim felt his heart sink as he watched the a'capella performance. He knew that he wasn't _just _watching Andy sing to Angela. He was watching every time Pam and Roy went on vacation. He was watching every time Roy had said something to Pam that made her smile. He was watching every kiss, cuddle, and/or hug Pam and Roy shared in their years of engagement. It was hard to watch; but he could only imagine how Dwight felt. He was sitting in a chair, next to the Ferris wheel, watching the lights twinkle as they went around in a big circle. He was deep in thought, but he had a very nonchalant expression. Jim knew what he was doing; he was keeping himself occupied so his eyes wouldn't wander over to Andy and Angela.  
The voice of Andy's falsetto echoed in the twilight air, leaving everyone a little uncomfortable and wishing he would stop. The singing was just too much. Jim quickly and calmly approached Andy's table and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. He interrupted his performance briefly to address Jim.

"Yes?" Jim could hear the detest in his voice. Andy _did not_ want to stop.

"Um, the singing is great," Jim lied feebly giving Andy a sense of false hope, "but the seating is…kinda weird." Andy didn't say anything, instead, opting for a look of confusion. Angela sat up in her chair, hoping she would be moved.

"Well, you two are the only ones sitting at this table, and…it kinda feels _empty_." Jim's lie was successful in convincing Andy to listen. However, there was some truth in that. It did look a little awkward to have a table of two in a crowd of full tables.

"So, Phyllis…" Phyllis started over to Jim at the sound of her name, "We're going to remove this table. Andy, you can sit…" He frantically tried to find a place for Andy. Luckily, fate was on his side. There was exactly _one_ seat left at a table of Kelly and some warehouse workers that knew her through Darryl.

"You can sit; right there," he motioned toward the seat, "next to Kelly."

"Where will Angela sit then?" Andy asked innocently. "We could probably just pull up a chair –"

"That would be a fire hazard," Phyllis interrupted. She and Angela exchanged a look, before Phyllis continued. "She'll just have to sit in a chair over by the Ferris wheel." Once again, Angela looked at Phyllis, but this time Angela was fighting back a smile. There was a tense and uncomfortable silence that followed as Jim awaited Andy's decision. Luckily, Andy agreed and Jim took the folding chair and sat it next to the Ferris wheel…and Dwight.

"Sorry," Jim announced as Angela sat down happily in her seat, "I know its weird doing a seating arrangement, but I just want everything to be _right_." Many heads turned to face Jim as he continued his speech, "Um, I just want things to be perfect for Pam. And, I just think where you guys are…right now…is exactly the way Pam would want it." He directed the last sentence to his desk – mate, who nodded in agreement.

"Well…I guess there's no more beating around the bush." Jim mumbled to no one in particular. As he dialed the number to the Dunder Mifflin offices, he could feel the entire crowd warming up. Michael and Holly were smiling, Phyllis was beaming, Andy and Dwight were very proud and Angela was pleased and anxious all at the same time. Kelly's heart was beating so fast, Jim could almost hear it. Meredith and Oscar exchanged knowing glances, and he could briefly hear Stanley say, "It's about danm time, too."

His thumb nervously hit the "send" button and held his breath as the phone rang.

--

Pam had been reading old newspapers that Michael had thrown into the recycling bin. The cartoon section was not in any of the newspapers, so she was stuck reading about a dog that saved a 99 year old woman and who all died over seas. After reading an in-depth column about the rising gas prices, Pam was fed up. She wasn't going to wait anymore. She had already envisioned herself taking her desk chair and throwing it at the windows as an escape route. She also could climb through the ceiling and get out the air conditioning vents. She checked the time: 6:01 pm.  
It was 6:05 pm when the call came in.

"Dunder Mifflin –"it was instinct. The office was closed, and she had no obligation to answer like that, but she couldn't help herself. "- this is Pam."

"Hey Pam, can you do me a favor? When you hang up, go into the ficus pot, and there will be a spare key to the office. Come down to the parking lot ASAP."

The phone was disconnected. But Pam knew who it was.


	10. ten

Jim Halpert was not easily scared. Nine years old, he let his fifteen year old brother sleep with him after watching a scary movie. Twelve years old, was the only kid in his grade to successfully spend the night at a grave yard. In college, he survived every haunted house the world threw in his direction.  
He had only been scared once. He was twenty eight years old, and he was about to propose to Pam Beesly. Jim had been pacing in the Dunder Mifflin parking lot for what seemed like hours, awaiting Pam's arrival. No doubt she was already in the elevator. He could hear his heart like he heard the rhythm in his footsteps. The sun was almost out of sight, and the sky was like a faded rainbow; the hot pink around the sun, the blue on the horizon, and the dark – blue that was hovering overhead. Jim's insides wanted to run away, but somehow his outside body managed to stay – for Pam.

--

Michael casually looked over at Holly. She was staring at Jim, smiling. The golden tint of her hair reflected the sun so naturally; she looked like she was glowing. She could feel his eyes upon her, so when she looked into Michael's eyes, he smiled too.

"Are you excited?" she asked

"Of course!" he laughed, "I've been watching these two kids for a long time now. It's just so…surprising." Michael took in a deep breath to soak in this moment. His eyes wandered up towards the sky, where little, twinkling stars had began to appear. His memory was suddenly flooded with images; Pam asking about the Stamford branch, Jim going over to reception so many times, Jim never getting along with Roy, and Pam never getting along with Karen. He mentally put together this Jim and Pam puzzle – and he knew this was right. Because he remembered a love sick Jim confessing to Michael his crush.

"But, you know," Michael said with a sigh, returning his gaze to Holly, "They're meant to be.

--

"Angela?"

"Yes, Dwight?"

Can I…tell you something?"

"Of course."

"I'm…I'm really glad these two are together." Dwight broke through the invisible wall between him and Angela to look at her in the eyes.

"Well, yes, they are very happy together," Angela responded with a small smile, quickly breaking her gaze with Dwight to look at something more inconspicuous

"No…no, it's just…" words were very hard to come by, "Jim and Pam were…really _there _for me…when, uh…they just –"

"I know."

Angela took in a deep breath.

"I could always go to Pam for advice." Angela vividly remembers confronting Pam with her relationship issues. Whether Dwight wasn't there, or just when he wasn't there for _her_.

"Same." Dwight said vaguely. "And Jim is all right."

"Jim is all right," Angela agreed. The two sat in an uncomfortable silence. The past years' events were providing the tension to grow thicker and thicker.

"Angela?" Dwight said without looking at her.

"Yes, Dwight?"

The words '_I love you_' were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them. There were way too many people here, and Andy could still read lips from where he sat. Instead, Dwight murmured a "nothing" before dropping his hand to his side, allowing Angela's hands to intertwine with his.

He felt her tiny thumb making circles on his hand all night.

--

Pam knew exactly what she was looking at as soon as she stepped out of the elevator. The glass doors revealed the sea of co-workers that had congregated in the parking lot. The Ferris wheel was running, the moon bounce was inflated, and out of the corner of her eyes she saw those same fireworks she had seen on the 15th of May. But all of those images became blurred quickly. Hot tears were forming in Pam's eyes. She was about to become engaged.  
With a smile, she gently opened the door and was greeted with smiles just like her own. She turned her head to the right, revealing a rattled Jim Halpert. He was standing in front of the band with his hands in his pockets. The Christmas lights in the background illuminated the dance floor he was standing on, so it looked like Jim was standing on water. She slowly began to make her way over to him.

"Pam," Jim said gently

"Yes?" Pam was still walking cautiously

"Well, c'mere!" He motioned with his hands for Pam to hurry up. She could hear a few giggles in the crowd as she ran towards him. He took one hand out of his pocket and reached out to grasp Pam's. Her smile was reflected onto Jim's face; she couldn't remember the last time he looked this tender.

"I…have been meaning to do this for a long time now," he said with a semi-laugh, "And, I was going to do this on a specific date of importance, but now I'm just doing it because…well, I just can't wait anymore." And Pam felt all her weight go into her chest and into her heart. Her arms and legs became numb, and her hands and feet began to quiver. She lost all consciousness from her face, making her eyes and lips drop. She literarly felt her heart warm up, turn into liquid, and melt inside her. Her surrounding environment quickly disappeared, and slowly she began losing her senses. She kept her sight and hearing long enough to watch Jim get on one knee and she kept her hearing long enough to hear

"Pam Beesly, will you marry me?"

And she kept her voice long enough to say,

"Yes."

_A/N: YAY! IT'S OVER!! I hope the ending satisifies you; I can't tell if I love it or hate it yet. The only real reason I have a final author's note is because of one word: sequel?_


End file.
